VISION 3:- THE SEVEN TRUMPETS, part 3.
CH 10 - SECOND INTERPOLATION, part 1 .
Part 1: Revelation 10. John Recommissioned.
As with the seals John has built up the END, the sixth in the series has been described, but before the END is described in the seventh of the series John interrupts the narrative. Again the Interpolation has the intent of giving the saints comfort and encouragement. Terrible things are coming on the world, but the people of God are in God's care and protection.
This interlude is in four parts:
(i) The Seven Thunders (10:1-4)
(ii) Announcement of the Seventh Trumpet (10:5-7)
(iii) The Little Scroll (10:8-11).
(iv) The Two Witnesses (11:1-13).
The comment in 11:14 "The second woe has passed" has lead some interpreters to think that the events of ch 10 & 11 are part of the sixth trumpet, but as we shall see the timing sequence cannot match up. The sixth trumpet is clearly only days before the END, whereas the witness of the two witnesses covers the whole period of the last 3 1/2 years.
It is best to see the comment of 11:14 as being a typical Hebrew method of writing. The introduction of another vision in ch 10:1 by the phrase "Then I saw" has broken the narrative. John therefore uses this typically Hebrew method of recall to pick, up the narrative where he left off.
To understand this passage we need to realise that John is using Daniel 12 (particularly v4) and is explaining how it comes to pass.
(I) 10:1-4: - THE SEVEN THUNDERS.
REV 10:1 Then I saw another mighty angel coming down from heaven. He was robed in a cloud, with a rainbow above his head; his face was like the sun, and his legs were like fiery pillars.
REV 10:2 He was holding a little scroll, which lay open in his hand. He planted his right foot on the sea and his left foot on the land,
REV 10:3 and he gave a loud shout like the roar of a lion. When he shouted, the voices of the seven thunders spoke.
REV 10:4 And when the seven thunders spoke, I was about to write; but I heard a voice from heaven say, "Seal up what the seven thunders have said and do not write it down."
"another mighty angel...wrapped in a cloud, and his face was like the sun and his legs like pillars of fire".
Leon Morris points out that this is the first angel so described. All of the points about him are elsewhere used to describe Christ or God, thus suggesting that this is Christ. However this need not be so. If it is Christ why didn't John just say so? Christ is never called an angel in the book elsewhere and the angel is not here given divine honours.
The angel "swears by God" (v6) thus implying that God is greater than himself. C/f Daniel 12:5ff.
The elements of the description are drawn from Daniel 10 and Revelation 1:14-16. John is apparently trying to show some sort of relationship between this Angel, the Angel of the Lord of the OT and Christ. However the relationship may not extend as far as identifying them all in this case.
"coming down from heaven" i.e. from God's throne - this is not a fallen angel as was the case in Chapters 8&9 and also Chapter 12.
"robed in a cloud" c/f 1 Thessalonians 4:16,17 Matthew 24:30. The cloud is the chariot of God.
"rainbow over his head" c/f ch 4:3 - Greek literally = "the rainbow", i.e. a particular rainbow is intended. It is the rainbow speaking of God's covenant promises and glory.
"face like the sun" - radiating God's glory as Moses did (2 Corinthians 3).
"legs like pillars of fire" c/f Exodus 14:24; Daniel 10.
10:2 "a little scroll".
This is apparently the same scroll as Ch5, only now the seals are all opened. The opening of the seals has brought some insight, but now the scroll itself is to be read. But in actual fact we do not get to read the scroll.
Some interpreters feel it is not the same scroll as ch 5 but the symbolic actions of this angel suggest strongly that it is the same.
"Foot...sea...foot...land"
c/f Joshua 1:3 - this action signifies taking possession of it. This is the claim of the Redeemer. This would suggest that if this being is Christ then we are witnessing here is the Second Coming, - phase 2 of redemption, the actual claiming of the redeemed possession by the Redeemer (as covered in the discussion notes on chapter 5). This is possible if we abandon a purely sequential interpretation of Revelation. So here we have Christ as Redeemer claiming his redeemed possession. The theme here is covenant and redemption, not victory over enemies or establishing the kingdom, so the imagery is sufficient. It is not unreasonably to have different “aspects” of the Second Coming portrayed in different visions without referring to other aspects if that is John’s purpose to do so.
The point John is trying to make is that he saw some heavenly being coming to earth with the title deed of earth that had been given to Christ in Chapter 5 by virtue of the fact he had paid the price of redemption. This heavenly being then took his stand on the land and the sea, thus laying redemption claim of ownership to the whole earth. Whether or not this being is Christ the redeemer, or some angel acting as his agent is largely irrelevant to the meaning we are to derive. The point is that the Redeemer is laying claim to ownership of the purchased possession. With this act Satan (the legal owner in this age) has been dispossessed. “The kingdom of this world has become the kingdom of our God and of his Christ” (Revelation 11:15).
We are not forced to conclude that this being is an angel who is like the "forward guard" of the Second Coming, acting on behalf of Christ. It could be Christ himself. That the END is near, even on us, is clear from the words uttered by the “angel” as he announces the 7th trumpet. We need to remember this is a symbolic representation of some truth God wants us to understand – it does not have to tie in neatly with some literalistic scheme we may have in mind and to force it to do so may obscure the message of the scene we are looking at.
F.F.Bruce: He is not to be identified with Christ.
Martin Kiddle: We are reminded for a brief moment of the description of Christ (1:13-16) but the two pictures are different in kind. Almost every aspect of the description of Christ is symbolic, but here the picture is impressionistic in style.
Kiddle feels that the constant references back to the Exodus story are what is important here - what we are seeing is the angel which guided Israel through the wilderness. Just as Israel was protected in its time of persecution, so to will the New Israel, the Church. Christians are also dissociated from the life and fortunes of this world and are seen to be spiritually in a desert. Hence they need guidance and protection from enemies. The next three chapters describe the persecution of the Church in this period, but before we see that we are introduced to the angel who goes with us into the suffering.
Hence it could be the archangel Michael, the defender of God's people.
10:3 "a shout like the roar of a lion".
- Leo? c/f Amos 3:8; Hosea 11:10; 2 Esdras 11:37 - Messiah roars like a lion.
"the seven thunders".
The use of the definite article makes this difficult as John's use of the definite article usually indicates something which is known, or identifiable.
To the ancients the sound of thunder was like God speaking which only a few could interpret c/f John 12:27-33 Job 26:14.
In Psalm 29:3-9 we are told seven things the voice of the Lord does:
(1) It is upon the waters.
(2) It is thundering.
(3) It breaks the cedars of Lebanon.
(4) It flashes with fire.
(5) It shakes the wilderness.
(6) It is majestic.
(7) It makes the oaks to twirl.
These are largely acts of judgement and John could be alluding back to this. However John's main point is that God is in complete control.
10:4 "Seal up...do not write".
Were they too horrible to record?
To "seal up" in prophecy usually means to conceal its contents.
Possibly the seven thunders were the last judgement – wrath - and John was not allowed to write of that yet – it had to wait for the revelation of the bowls.
(II) 10:5-7 ANNOUNCEMENT OF THE SEVENTH TRUMPET.
REV 10:5 Then the angel I had seen standing on the sea and on the land raised his right hand to heaven.
REV 10:6 And he swore by him who lives for ever and ever, who created the heavens and all that is in them, the earth and all that is in it, and the sea and all that is in it, and said, "There will be no more delay!
REV 10:7 But in the days when the seventh angel is about to sound his trumpet, the mystery of God will be accomplished, just as he announced to his servants the prophets."
10:5 "raised his right hand to heaven".
c/f Daniel 12:6,7. The familiar gesture of a binding oath c/f Deuteronomy 32:40.
10:6 "and swore by him who lives forever and ever", i.e. by God.
Implies that the angel is himself not God.
"that there should be no more delay"
Greek = chronos = time - in the sense of “duration of time” (as opposed to kairos, time as an event or point in time).
The phrase "no more ..." is used several times in REVELATION always in the sense of "No more QUANTITY of (the thing named)". C/f 21:1 "no more sea", 21:4 "no more death", 22:3 "no more curse" 22:5 "no more night". Hence the KJV "no more time" is more accurate. This of necessity implies that there will be "no more delay", but "no more delay" does not carry with it the same fullness of meaning and force.
Hence we have to give this phrase the meaning "no more time" in the sense that after the seventh trumpet time, as we know it, ceases to exist. This answers the question of 6:10 "How long...?"
10:7. "In the days of the (seventh trumpet) the mystery of God will be accomplished..."
c/f Acts 3:21.
I.e., the coming of the kingdom of God and the Eternal State.
"in the days" - implies that the seventh trumpet blows over a considerable period of time. If it indeed blows, as it says, until all is fulfilled then it begins to blow on the day of the Lord and continues to blow throughout the Millennium until the Eternal State is ushered in. Hence when it ceases to blow there will be quite literally "no more time".
Whatever way God measures the passage of Eternity we do not know, but in keeping with the Bible's teaching on the relationship of Heaven and Earth we can expect that our present time is some form of copy and shadow of what God has in Heaven. However Heaven's "time" will be in some way qualitatively different to ours.
That God in Heaven has some form of time is clear from the following:
· Even for God there was a point in eternity before he created the heavens and the earth.
· Even for God there was a point in eternity before man sinned.
· Even for God the death of Christ happened at a point of eternity.
· Even for God there will come a point in eternity when the saints will join him.
This indicates that God and Heaven are not timeless, eternity is not timelessness. The idea of eternity being timeless is derived from Greek philosophy, not from the Bible. In heaven God has time – it is qualitatively different from our time and our time is but a poor shadow of God’s time – but he does have a time. God is not timeless.
John is here adapting Daniel 12:6-7, where Antiochus = Antichrist. The delay is given by God to bring men to repentance (2 Peter 3:9).
In some mysterious way the mystery of God is fulfilled through the martyrdom and persecution of the Church. John says that this mystery was "attested to by the prophets", but elsewhere he always uses "prophet" to mean "a Christian martyr". Hence he says this mystery was "announced" Greek = "evangelized".
(III) 10:8-11 THE LITTLE SCROLL.
REV 10:8 Then the voice that I had heard from heaven spoke to me once more: "Go, take the scroll that lies open in the hand of the angel who is standing on the sea and on the land."
REV 10:9 So I went to the angel and asked him to give me the little scroll. He said to me, "Take it and eat it. It will turn your stomach sour, but in your mouth it will be as sweet as honey."
REV 10:10 I took the little scroll from the angel's hand and ate it. It tasted as sweet as honey in my mouth, but when I had eaten it, my stomach turned sour.
REV 10:11 Then I was told, "You must prophesy again about many peoples, nations, languages and kings."
This passage is a recommissioning of John as a prophet.
The passage suggests that, even though we have seen a great revelation with the opening of the seven seals, there is still a revelation that can be obtained somehow from the scroll, but the only way to obtain it is by digesting the scroll.
What the content of this second level of revelation is we are not explicitly told. It may refer to the following chapters of REVELATION, or to the 7th trumpet, which still has to come, or to some other portion of what John proceeds to write. The content is presumably about “peoples, nations, tongues and kings” and this fairly well describes the following chapters.
c/f Ezekiel 2:9,10; Jeremiah 36:2.
God's word is sweet to taste, but to digest it and make it your own involves bitter repentance.
c/f Psalms19:7,10; 119:103
For the prophet God's word is specially bitter. He not only has to speak God's word, he has to live it. The words on this scroll are wars of judgement, John must live these.
"eat" means to completely assimilate the message into his own life.
No comments:
Post a Comment